Rotary engine



J. M. MAcFARLANE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED mus. 1920.

Patented July 19, 1921 INVENTOR Jon" M. MR FHWLF'NE ATTORNEY UNITED STATE" JOHN M. MAOFARLANE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Application filed January 28, 1920.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. MACFAR- LANE, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have made a new and useful invention-to wit, Improvements in Rotary Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates particularly to engines, compressors and pumps of the rotary The object of this invention in its application to engines, compressors or pumps is to reduce the internal friction therewithin. With regard to pumps to so construct and arrange the interior thereof that sand, detritus and the like cannot obstruct the rotor and cause breakage or unduewear of the same. Other objects and advantages will appear as this description progresses.

In this specification and the annexed drawings, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such form, because it may be embodied in other forms; and it is also to be understood that in and by the claims following the description it is desired to cover the invention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings,

Figure 1 is a transverse section of a rotary engine constructed in accordance with this invention taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same taken on the line TI-II of Fig. 1.

In detail the construction illustrated in the drawings includes an inclosing casing or stator 1, having the inlet 2 and the outlet 3, and provided with a suitable base 4. The interior circumference 6 of this casing is cylindrical, the longitudinal dimension of which depends upon the capacity of the pump desired.

The casing is closed at one side by the plate 7 and on the opposite side by a similar plate 8, both of which are provided with the flanges 9 and 10 respectively, with which they form a hermetic joint. The stud shaft 11 is fixed in the hub 12 of the plate 7 and is provided with a shoulder 13 fitting into a recess of the hub 7 into which it is snugly drawn by the nut 14 threaded onto the shaft Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July v19, 1921.

Serial No. 354,628.

and compressing the gasket 15 against the end of the hub, to hermetically seal the joints between the hub and the shaft. The shaft 11 is positioned eccentric t0 the axis 17 of the casing. The drive shaft 18 rotates in the bushing 19 fixed in the hub 20 of the plate 8 and is provided with a stufling box 21, compressible by the gland 22, in the usual manner. The axis 23 of the shaft 18 is set eccentric to the axis 17 of the casing and intermediate between the axis 17 andthe axis 11. The shaft 18 is provided with a drive pulley 24.

The hub 25 of the annular rotor 26 is fixed on the end of shaft 18, said rotor 26 is cylindrical and closed at one end by the integral plate 27, having the annular boss 28 hearing against the interior of the cover plate 8 at this point. The opposite edge 29 of the annulus 26 forms a running joint within a groove formed between the cover plate 7 and the periphery 6 of the casing. The thickness of the annulus 26 is slightly less than the space between the periphery 30 of the vane guide and the interior 6 of the casing, so that the rotor may rotate through this space freely yet close enough to prevent back leakage between the outlet 3 and the inlet 2.

The periphery 26 of the annulus is provided with the openings 31, 32, 33 and 34 therethrough the vanes 35, 36, 37 and 38 are pivoted therein on the transverse pins 39, 40, 41 and 42 respectively, so that the vanes pivot freely upon their respective pins. The outer ends 43 of the vanes are made slightly heavier, so that centrifugal force will throw them toward the periphery 6 of the casing. This end 43 is given a contour that will permit it to bear against the surface 6 between the top center and the inlet 2 with the least friction until the opposite end 44 contacts with the periphery 30 of the vane guide. It is the function of this vane guide to cooperate with the rotor 26 at the top of the casing, to divide the casing between the inlet 2 and the outlet 3 and also to act as a guide for the ends 44 of the vanes to prevent the ends 43 from contacting with the periphery 6 of the casing. The guide 30 is free to rotatein the same direction as the rotor 26 so no friction can exist between the rotor and ends 44 of the vanes, since the vane guide is moved around by the contact of the ends 44, and also by the movement of the water passwithout appreciable pulsations.

ing through the pump casing, the slight differential movement between the guide and the rotor not being enough to cause any fric- {)ion against the contacting ends 44 of the ase.

The pump operates substantially asfollows: Power applied through the pulley 24 rotates the rotor 26 contraclockwise in the direction of the arrow. The fan action of the various vanes in assuming their relative radial position createsa suction in the easin that draws water through the inlet 2 filing the casing intermediate the interior periphery 6 and the exterior periphery 30 of the vane guide, The vanes impinging against this Water from the inlet 2 gradually assumes the position shown by the lower most vane, which forces the water confined between the lowermost vane and the preceding vane positively forward until the Water-is relieved into the chamber 45 leading to the outlet? The various vanes progressively go through the evolutions shown in the drawing Fig. 1, resulting in a continuous delivery of water through the outlet 3 Having thus described this invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is r l. A rotary engine comprising a casing, a rotary vane guide in said casing, a rotor eccentric and approximately contacting withsaid casingand said guide; and vanes pivoted intermediate their ends in said rotor.

2. A rotary engine comprising a casing, a rotatable vane guide mounted eccentrically in said casing; a rotor interposed between said vane guide and casing and set eccentric to saidcasing, and vanes pivoted in said rotor.

- 3. A rotary engine comprising a casing; a rotary vane guide mounted eccentrically in said casing; a rotor interposed between said rotary vane guide and said casing, set eccentrically thereto and approximately contacting with said casing and said guide; and

JOHN M. MAOFARLAN Q In the presence of LINCOLN J oHNsoN. 

